Longford Leader Farming: €28.7m in payments issued to 8,200 forest owners
Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for forestry, has announced the commencement of the annual tax-free forestry premium payments for 2022.
The payments will issue this week to forest owners who applied for their payments through the Department’s Online Services website: www.agfood.ie.
Minister Hackett said: “These payments are tax free and guaranteed for 15 years to each individual forest owners and I would encourage other landowners to actively consider planting a new woodland. It has huge environmental and economic benefits for the owner and for wider society and can complement a productive farming enterprise. Farm forestry is the model that all farmers should consider”
The Department moved to a fully on-line system for forestry premium applications in 2020 and Minister Hackett encouraged other landowners to apply as soon as possible for any outstanding payments. The Minister added, “We also be building on last year’s progress on forestry licencing where we increased the number of licences issued by 60% on the previous year.”